'Inside Llewyn Davis,' the new film from the Coen brothers starring Oscar Issac, left, and Justin Timberlake, is already receiving a good share of Oscar buzz.
Alison Rosa, CBS Films

Written by

Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY

The race for movie awards contention is officially a calendar year long. But the true excitement begins as we round the post and hit the final stretch in November and December.

That's when the holiday releases enter the awards field in what is already shaping up to be a highly competitive year. Among the contenders that already have staked a solid claim: 12 Years a Slave, Gravity, Fruitvale Station, Lee Daniels' The Butler, Captain Phillips and Blue Jasmine.

"Things are going to get really interesting from here on in," says Tom O'Neil, founder of the awards website Goldderby.com. "There are ...